Coniferous Forests
Coniferous forests are primarily composed of evergreen trees belonging to the conifer family, which includes species such as pines, firs, and spruces. These forests represent the largest single forest system on Earth and play a crucial role in the global ecosystem. Predominantly found in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in boreal regions known as taiga, coniferous forests also extend into the Southern Hemisphere. While they are characterized by a lower diversity of plant and animal species compared to tropical forests, coniferous forests still support a variety of wildlife, including wolves, bears, and various birds.
Conifers are resilient, capable of thriving in various climates, and are known for their longevity and size, with some species living for thousands of years. However, these forests face significant threats from human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Approximately one-third of conifer species are imperiled within their native ranges, highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts. Additionally, the potential for reforestation through conifer planting is gaining attention as nations look to mitigate climate change effects. While such initiatives may boost carbon capture, they can also raise concerns about impacts on local biodiversity and ecosystems.
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Coniferous Forests
DEFINITION: Forests constituted primarily of evergreen trees that are species of conifers
Boreal coniferous forests form the largest single forest system on Earth and thereby are a major part of the world ecosystem. Human exploitation, population pressures, pollution, and climate change have had negative impacts on the range and variety of conifers.
Coniferous forests constitute a vast biome that lies primarily in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere but also occurs throughout the world. Conifers are evergreens that have compound seed cones, needle- or scale-shaped leaves, distinctive water-transporting tissue and grain structure, and compact wood. They are thought to date back to the Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago. In the twenty-first century, more than 600 conifer species are known to exist. Of these, the most common species are as follows: in the Northern Hemisphere, pines (Pinus), firs (Abies), spruces (Picea), and junipers (Juniperus); in the Southern Hemisphere, yellowwoods (Podocarpus). Although not as abundant in plant and animal species as tropical forests, coniferous forests form a major segment of the world ecosystem.
Conifers grow on every continent except Antarctica and on many coastal and oceanic islands. Although many species are native to tropical and subtropical biomes, the majority are in the boreal forest biome, also called taiga. This is a belt of forest that extends across Canada into Alaska in North America and across northern Europe and Russia in Eurasia, reaching as much as 73 degrees north latitude in Siberia. In the Southern Hemisphere, coniferous forests extend as far as 55 degrees south latitude on Chile’s Tierra del Fuego. About 60 percent of species are found in a range of altitude between 500 and 1,500 meters (1,600 and 5,000 feet), although there are sea-level species and one that survives at altitudes up to 4,800 meters (15,800 feet). Additionally, conifers have been cultivated for some two hundred years, and introduced or exotic species of conifers have entered ecosystems as they have been planted in gardens and parks.
Conifers are hardy and typically grow larger and live longer than hardwood species of trees. In fact, the world’s oldest known tree, a Great Basin bristlecone pine in eastern California called Methuselah, is nearly four thousand nine hundred years old, and the tallest tree is a sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens) dubbed Hyperion at 115.92 meters (380 feet), also in California. Most conifer species occur in temperate, moist climates. For instance, the taiga in general has an average minimum temperature of about 6.6 degrees Celsius (44 degrees Fahrenheit) and receives about 50 centimeters (20 inches) of rain yearly.
The variety of conifer species and the variety of flora and fauna among them are generally low in coniferous forests; in the taiga spruce, tamarack (or larch), and balsam fir dominate as climax species. Nonetheless, the sheer number of trees affords an immense natural resource. Among the wildlife in the taiga alone are wolves, coyotes, bears, foxes, lynx, deer, moose, rabbits, and many species of raptors and songbirds. Coniferous forests have long been sources of raw materials for humans as well, principally timber for construction and pulp for paper.
About one-third of conifer species are imperiled within their natural range; forty-six are critically endangered. The expanding human is the greatest stressor because of losses of forestland to settlement and agriculture, increased frequency and intensity of fires near settlements, air pollution and water pollution from agriculture and industry, and the introduction of exotic pests and diseases. Moreover, human-accelerated climate change may force the migration of some species northward, where it is not blocked by agriculture or cities.
Coniferous forests could increase globally as nations seek to mitigate the effects of climate change. Coniferous trees overall tend to grow more quickly than many native species, so countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) have planted some of these. The action proved controversial in the late twentieth century as many citizens complained it affected biodiversity and changed the look of the landscape. In some areas the conifers negatively affected heathland and peat bogs because of the water they took up. However, in the 2020s conifer planting was again discussed as an option to offset carbon dioxide emissions, a project that experts said required planting tens of millions of imported species of trees. The Committee on Climate Change estimated the UK needed to increase woodland cover from 13 percent in 2020 to at least 17 percent by 2050 to achieve its aims. Experts recommended conifer both for the speed of growth that allows efficient carbon fixation and because it can be harvested for timber when it reaches maturity; new trees that will continue to sequester carbon can then be planted.
Bibliography
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